TeamSugar member Twinkle recently renovated her kitchen, and the results are magnificent! She designed the new kitchen layout for her Scandinavian home herself, and her husband assembled and installed the cabinetry (by Danish company Kvik) himself. The couple hired professionals to knock down a wall, put drywall up, rework the plumbing, do electrical work, and lay the oak floor. The kitchen used to be divided into a small galley kitchen and a very small bedroom and closet. She and her husband knocked down the walls to make a larger, more open space. To see postrenovation photos and hear details about the layout and her resources,

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Most of Twinkle's appliances were display models, which she was able to get at a reduced price. "The fridges, induction cook top, oven and microwave (inside cabinet) are all Siemens. The dishwasher is Miele and the thing is so quiet you can’t even tell it’s on," she writes. The kitchen island is made from one very large and heavy piece of oak, so large that, she says, "we had to take out the foyer wall to get it into the house." If you're wondering where her refrigerator is, there are two hiding behind the left and middle cabinets. She hopes to also house an integrated coffeemaker there someday as well. Her favorite part of the kitchen? The really long drawers that "have a space for everything so it stays organized, more or less." Congratulations Twinkle on a marvelous renovation! You've inspired us all.

The counter tops and cabinets are from a Danish company called Kvik. Ikea carries a similar style, although the quality isn't half as good and they don't offer the really long drawers, which I really wanted. Also, what I like about these drawers is that even though there are no handles, they are very easy to open from the top or bottom. The doors/drawers on the Ikea version weren't as easy to open.

angelfromlsu - The oven is standard size but I think the standard size in Europe is slightly smaller than in the US.
The wood counter top does require an occasional oiling but it's not a major chore.
tdamji - Isn't it great?! I love how quickly the temperature adjusts on an induction cooktop. This one has a "booster" setting, so water boils in no time at all. Also it's much safer since it only heats steel or cast iron. The downside is I can't use my Calphalon cookware. Oh well, didn't like it anyway. :shrug:

Thanks everybody! tdamji - The cook top is induction. It's awesome! The vent is on order.sunbum - The bar stools are from a Danish company called BoConcept.CoralAmber - The back splash is just one long piece of glass. It has a greenish tint because it's thick. freegracefrom - sure ;)

Thanks everybody!
tdamji - The cook top is induction. It's awesome! The vent is on order.
sunbum - The bar stools are from a Danish company called BoConcept.
CoralAmber - The back splash is just one long piece of glass. It has a greenish tint because it's thick.
freegracefrom - sure ;)

what sort of cooktop do you have? is there a vent? i love the way you tucked the fridge(s) in the wall - very sleek! i am glad to see so much counter space, no over head cabinets, lots of shelving, and deep drawers for food and other storage! all great things to have in a kitchen. fabulous job!